The spilling of oil on water is never an act that has any really useful purpose, but it is especially harmful when a large quantity of oil is spilled or released, by accident or otherwise, upon water because it will tend to float and form a cover which excludes oxygen and smothers acquatic life, such as fish and water fowl. A great amount of effort has been expended to recover oil in a spill, some of which may allow for recovery at great expense and some of which renders the oil unusuable or nearly impossible to recover.
Examples of oil spill control and recovery efforts include the use of absorbent means such as straw, the use of detergent material to combine with the oil and change its character, and caging means to surround an oil spill to keep it from spreading while recovery or removal activities are exercised.